largest and fastest-growing cities are facing an alarming future - and could be completely underwater by the end of the century, according to new research. With climate experts warning of rising sea levels and worsening floods, the situation is already sparking concern across the continent.

Rising sea levels, driven by climate change, are creeping up on coastal cities, Lagos, Nigeria and putting millions of people at risk of losing their homes, jobs, and way of life. Weak infrastructure and increasing climate-related disasters like flooding and storm surges have sparked scientists to warn that if global temperatures continue to rise at their current pace, the majority of land could be under the sea quite rapidly, displacing entire communities and causing severe economic losses.

The government and environmental groups are working to put strategies in place to decrease the chances of the situation worsening and are working on seawalls, improving drainage and mangrove restoration.

The residents of Lagos, one of , are faced with increasingly severe annual flooding of their city, which is threatened by sea level rise and sinking at a rate of up to -87 mm per year.

A study from the University of Plymouth cautions that a sea level rise of three to nine feet could cause "catastrophic effects on human activities."

The flooding is impacting various communities across Lagos, particularly in low-lying and densely populated areas. Residents of informal settlements, such as Makoko, are especially vulnerable. Makoko, often referred to as the "Venice of Africa," is a floating slum that faces challenges from rising sea levels and flooding.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has identified Lagos as one of the states at high risk of severe flooding in 2025. In response, the Lagos State Government has initiated emergency measures, including the establishment of a temporary pumping station and ongoing urban regeneration projects to mitigate flooding in affected areas.

Alexandria, the historic city established by , is confronting a dire threat as its beaches disappear due to rising sea levels. According to the UN Climate Panel (IPCC), the worst-case scenario predicts that by 2050, the sea will rise by one metre, submerging a third of the highly fertile Nile Delta and flooding the historic city.

Each year, the city is sinking by three millimetres, a process accelerated by the Nile dams upstream that block silt from strengthening the soil, as well as offshore gas drilling. NPR reports that by 2100, the Mediterranean could rise by as much as two feet, increasing the risk of devastating floods for Alexandria.